ICBA Releases 2023 Community Banking Policy Resolutions

Washington, D.C. (May 16, 2023) — The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today released its legislative and regulatory policy objectives for 2023 during the ICBA Capital Summit. Developed and approved by ICBA volunteer community bankers, these resolutions will guide ICBA advocacy in the coming year and reflect its unique mission of creating and promoting an environment where community banks flourish.

"ICBA’s 2023 policy resolutions reflect key issues that are top of mind for community bankers this year and will guide our efforts to advocate on behalf of our local customers and communities,” said ICBA Chairman Derek B. Williams, president and CEO of Century Bank & Trust in Milledgeville, Ga. “With community banks continuing to serve as the economic foundation of local communities, ensuring progress on these policy resolutions will leave a positive and lasting impact on the health and vitality of the neighborhoods we all call home.”

Approved by ICBA’s Policy Development Committee and board of directors, which is made up of community bankers from coast to coast, ICBA’s policy resolutions are:

• Promoting a balanced and competitive financial services landscape for American consumers and businesses by:

  • Improving community bank access to capital.

  • Defending the bank charter.

  • Supporting de novo community bank formation and mutual and savings institutions.

  • Preserving payments access, choice, and governance.

  • Opposing postal banking, FedAccounts, and the formation of new public banks.

  • Urging reforms to tax-subsidized credit union and Farm Credit System policies.

• Advocating common-sense and appropriately tailored laws and regulations for community banks related to:

  • Accounting and auditing.

  • Bank Secrecy Act and enforcement.

  • Community bank climate risk regulation.

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules.

  • The Current Expected Credit Loss model.

  • Quarterly call reports and the supervisory environment.

  • Regulatory capital and tax policy.

  • Regulation E and peer-to-peer payments fraud.

  • Publicly held community banks and Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

  • Tiered regulation.

• Championing fair and equitable access to the financial system related to:

  • Community development financial institutions.

  • The Community Reinvestment Act.

  • Credit reporting.

  • Deposit account services and fees.

  • Fair lending.

  • The Federal Home Loan Bank System.

  • Financial inclusion for underserved and unbanked individuals.

  • Minority banks.

  • National flood insurance.

  • Privacy.

  • Rural America and farm bill programs.

  • Small-business lending and small-business loan data collection.

  • The small-dollar loan rule.

• Advancing responsible innovation related to:

  • Core processors and customer data access.

  • Faster payments.

  • Innovation.

  • Payment cards.

• Protecting the safety and soundness of the financial system related to:

  • Cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currency.

  • Cyber incidents and breaches.

  • Data security and fraud.

  • Deposit insurance.

  • Ending too-big-to-fail.

  • Housing finance reform and regulating the government-sponsored enterprises.

  • The independence of the federal banking agencies and the dual banking system.

For more information, see ICBA’s complete 2023 Policy Resolutions.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute roughly 99 percent of all banks, employ nearly 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding nearly $5.9 trillion in assets, over $4.9 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.5 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers’ dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at www.icba.org.

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